


if there is a right time, darling, well, it's never been now

by whythinktoomuch



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, also v brief mention of km and gc i am sofa king sorry, but it was ca, but it was cano, but supercorp endgame because i'm a weak binch, canon compliant if you squint, i can't even say it :/, some mention of superbanshee, some mention of superrojas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22732441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whythinktoomuch/pseuds/whythinktoomuch
Summary: A sorta love story told in a series of sorta vignettes.a.k.a. how Kara Danvers spent Valentine's Day for the past 5 years
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 49
Kudos: 1026





	1. a sorta love story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only write fics that no one asks for apparently. 
> 
> Enjoy (:

_2016_

“Aren’t you with Winn?” 

Siobhan scoffs, hands never faltering in their current pursuit of unbuckling Kara’s belt. “Not in any way that would count.” 

“But you don’t even like me.” 

That finally gives Siobhan some pause—the first since she's yanked Kara by the shirt collar and into the supply closet. “Okay, and…? What, do you like _me?”_

Kara’s gaze drifts away from Siobhan’s eyes, dropping briefly to her cleavage then back to her eyes. “… I mean…” 

“Great! So, that settles it,” Siobhan says, and it’s the friendliest that Kara’s ever heard her sound. “We’ll just get this out of our system, and then _not_ call each other afterwards—best of both worlds.” 

“I guess…” Kara mumbles, blinking down at Siobhan’s hands as they return to their earlier task. “I mean, I guess I just don’t understand wh—”

“Look,” Siobhan says, eyes a-rolling. “It’s Valentine’s Day, and not only am I all alone, I’m spending it running menial errands for the diva queen of all media. You’re a much needed distraction, all right? So... distract me.” 

“You’re _not_ alone though. I thought you and Winn were like—”

Siobhan lets out an extended, exasperated sigh. “Do you want to have sex with me or not?” 

Kara’s eyes wander back down to Siobhan’s chest, deliberate and lingering. “... Yeah, I want to.” 

“Okay. So… shut up.” 

And Kara does. 

// 

“Was that really your first time with a girl?” Siobhan asks, once she’s pulling her skirt back into place. 

Kara blushes, in spite of everything she’d just said and done in the last half-hour. “Yes… Was it that obvious?” 

“Mm. _Eh…”_ Siobhan flaps her hand back and forth in a careless gesture. “You were okay. Could use a bit of practice though.” 

“Oh.” Kara adjusts her glasses, her eyes rounding behind them in surprise. “I guess I just assumed that this was gonna be a one-time thing.” 

“What? _No,_ not with _me,”_ Siobhan says with a heavy scoff and even heavier eyeroll. “Ugh, don’t talk to me for the rest of the day.” She shoves Kara’s belt into her hands and walks out the door without a glance back. 

Kara takes her time as she puts her clothes back on, leaving the supply closet only when she’s sure that the red in her cheeks has long since faded. Her eyes are downcast when she slides back into her chair. She tries to focus on her work and tries not to flinch every time Siobhan answers the phone in that characteristically severe lilt of hers. 

It takes two whole weeks before Kara can even look Siobhan in the eye again.

* * *

_ 2017 _

“How do you feel about staying in for the night?” Lena asks, and Kara’s already beaming at the barest suggestion of a suggestion. “We can order some Chinese food, split a bottle of wine or two… And you can finally show me that movie you oh so desperately want me to watch for some reason.” 

“Wait, which one?” 

Lena shrugs a shoulder, all casual. She’s smiling too now. “Why not all of them? We’ll have the whole night to ourselves, right?” 

“Right,” Kara agrees, laughing. “Okay, I’m in! What day works for you?” 

“Well… I was thinking we could do this tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?” Kara’s brow furrows, her lips quirking at one corner. “Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yes. Yes, it is… _But…_ ” Lena clears her throat, then tries to laugh it off. “Well, I just figured… as two single people, we could, you know, make the best of it. Together.” Lena then proceeds to direct her next words down to her fidgeting hands, voice steadily dropping as she speaks, “And frankly, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather spend it with, so...” 

“Oh. Oh, Lena, me too,” Kara says. 

She takes one of Lena’s restless hands in hers and gives it a warm, gentle squeeze. Lena’s head snaps up at the touch, her eyes slightly widened, but she’s starting to smile again, and Kara can’t help but flash a grin of her own. 

Then Kara shakes her head, remembering her earlier train of thought. “Oh, but I’m not single.” 

The hand in Kara’s grip goes slack and the smile on Lena’s face dims then disappears. “You’re… not? Since when? I thought…” 

“Yeah, it’s a recent development,” Kara says, waving her free hand dismissively. “You remember Mon-El, right? I mean, Mike. Of the interns.” She rolls her eyes for dramatic effect, but Lena doesn’t laugh or react in any way that Kara was expecting her to. 

“That’s… so great, Kara,” Lena says, and she’s nodding like she means it. “I’m happy for you. Really, I am.” 

“Thanks! Yeah… But, oh, we could totally do the girls’ night thing some other time,” Kara insists. “It’s just that I should probably spend Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend.” 

“I completely understand.” 

Lena withdraws her hand from Kara’s grasp, then quickly changes the subject to her work and how much of it she has yet to do, then quickly takes her leave after that.

* * *

_ 2018 _

Kara flicks yet another wadded up piece of red-and-pink tinfoil toward the trashcan, only for it to bounce off the rim and land in a pile of similarly discarded chocolate wrappers. 

“I honestly don’t know how you do it,” Lena says, shaking her head incredulously as she slides over another heart-shaped box of chocolates for Kara to tear into. “I would have puked at least ten times over by now.” 

“Plenty of practice, trust me,” Kara says, patting at her belly. “Also, James _had_ to have known that you wouldn’t be able to finish all this candy on your own.” 

Lena exhales a soft laugh. “Yes, well, I might have mentioned that it had been quite some time since I had a proper Valentine’s Day… _This—”_ Lena gestures around her office, now filled to the brim with red roses, assorted boxes of chocolates, and one very inconveniently oversized teddy bear—“was his response.”

Kara thoughtfully chews on an entire handful of white chocolate covered strawberries. “He’s a good boyfriend.” 

“Oh, don’t call him that,” Lena says with a groan. 

“Isn’t that what he is?” 

Lena hums, then hems and haws with her fingers drumming on her desk. “He’s… James. Just James. That’s all I really want from him anyway.” 

“Which means the rest of your Valentine’s Day candy is up for grabs, I guess,” Kara jokes with a very earnest grin. 

“All yours,” Lena says, her smile somehow even more earnest. “So, do you have any plans for today? I know you haven’t really been seeing anyone since… well, since.” 

Kara just shakes her head. “Nope. Might just stay in tonight. Watch a couple of movies, eat the rest of your chocolate and proceed to _not_ throw up because, you know, I'm a professional and all." 

“Well, then, why don’t you join us for dinner tonight?” Lena says. “James and I have a reservation at Il Palazzo, but we could probably squeeze in a third." 

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly…” Kara says, touching her glasses with a nervous titter. “Thank you for the offer, but I wouldn’t want to intrude.” 

“You wouldn’t be. I mean, we both love you, obviously.” Lena coughs suddenly then, a slight pink blooming in her cheeks, and for some reason, Kara feels a similar warmth spreading across her own face. “It could, mm… It could be fun, no?”

Kara forces a light chuckle, dropping her gaze to her hands, cataloging the various chocolatey smudges on her palms. “Yeah, but it wouldn’t be romantic…” 

The resounding silence from Lena’s end forces Kara to pick her head back up and she sees Lena just staring at her. Her entire frame still, her green eyes soft but unwavering. A few words start to build up in Kara’s throat, but she swallows them all back down. It was Lena’s turn to speak, after all. 

It’s not long before the spell is broken, Lena flicking her gaze away with a casual half-shrug. “Yeah,” she eventually says, and it’s all she says.

* * *

_ 2019  _

**Kara [6:17 PM]:** Hey, so I heard what happened… Are you okay? 

**Lena [6:17 PM]:** Fine, all things considered. 

**Kara [6:19 PM]:** So… do you want me to beat James up for you? 

**Lena [6:21 PM]:** Ha. If anything, you should be beating me up, given how everything unfolded. 

**Kara [6:22 PM]:** Lena, I would never—I repeat, NEVER—ever EVER ever do that, you know that, right? 

**Lena [6:22 PM]:** I do. 

**Kara [6:25 PM]** : Do you want to come over? Or I could go to you, if you want. 

**Kara [6:26 PM]:** Plus, I finally wrote down all the movies on your must-see list in alphabetical order. We can skip all the romantic ones too! 

**Lena [6:30 PM]:** Thank you, but I actually have a lot of work I need to get done for tomorrow. Rain check? 

**Kara [6:31 PM]:** A rain check it is! One that I will surely cash in sometime soon :)

**Lena [6:32 PM]:** Thank you for checking in on me. 

**Kara [6:32 PM]:** Of course! Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

**Lena [6:33 PM]:** Likewise ❤️

* * *

_ 2020 _

“So… you _don’t_ want to hang out tomorrow?” Kara asks for what seems like the umpteenth time. 

Andrea sighs as she steps into her heels, one hand braced against Kara’s chest for balance. “There’s only so many ways I can say this, Kara. Please stop asking me.” 

“I just want to be sure.” 

Andrea grasps at Kara’s chin, tugging her down into an insistent kiss and everything readily falls away. Kara doesn’t even realize she’s being nudged and pushed backwards until the backs of her knees hit Andrea’s ludicrously soft mattress. She sits back heavily onto the bed with Andrea practically climbing on top, straddling her lap. 

Kara’s panting when Andrea breaks off the kiss, pulling away with a satisfied smirk, even with her dark lipstick smudged obscenely. Kara goes in for another kiss, fingertips just skirting past the hem of Andrea’s form-fitting blouse… only to be stopped with a single finger pressed to her lips. 

“I,” Andrea says, “ _really_ don’t want to spend Valentine’s Day with you. Okay?” Then she’s slipping away, sliding off Kara’s lap and out of reach, off to fix her make-up at her vanity. 

With a small groan, Kara falls backward onto the bed, hands clapped to her face. “It was _just_ a question.” 

“Yes, the _same_ question like _fifty_ times.” 

“I just wanted to be—”

_“Sure,_ yeah, I _know,”_ Andrea says, rolling her eyes. “Look, I already have plans, all right? You’ll have to get your after-hours gratification elsewhere.” 

Kara perks up from the bed, suddenly curious. “Plans? With whom?” 

“None of your business,” Andrea snaps, which usually means it has to do with Russell, and by now, Kara knows better than to pry any further. 

“All right then,” Kara says instead. “Can you please hand me my tie?” 

// 

When she was coming up with the plan, it seemed like a good idea at the time. 

But now—hovering outside Lena’s apartment just as the sun is starting to sink back into the horizon—it seems considerably less so. 

Yet still, she waits. 

Lena notices her right away, but pretends not to, nonchalantly thumbing through her book even as her heart-rate skyrockets. Eventually, she lets out a near imperceptible sigh and gets up to refill her wineglass, unlatching the balcony door almost as an afterthought. 

Lena is pouring a generous serving of bordeaux into a second glass when Kara finally touches down onto the balcony. “Stay there,” she calls out before Kara could step into the apartment. “I’ll come to you.”

“Thank you,” Kara says as she accepts the wine. The words echo over and over in her head when Lena actually stays outside with her—they’re near deafening by the time Lena stands so close that their shoulders are almost brushing. 

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Lena says breezily. 

They lean against the railing together, staring at the city in a silence only broken by intermittent sips of wine. Until Kara has to laugh. 

“Well, we finally did it,” she says, shaking her head in amusement. “We both stayed single for an entire _year._ I think _that’s_ worth celebrating at the very least, yeah?” 

Lena looks over with a raised eyebrow, calculating and cool. “Single,” she repeats quietly before glancing down at Kara’s watch. It’s shiny and new, and certainly not something affordable on a reporter’s salary by any means. 

Forcing a light chuckle, Kara tugs her sleeve down past her wrist. “That’s… ha, I swear it’s not what you think.” 

“I’m not thinking anything,” Lena says, neatly draining the last of her wine. “I’m just not entirely sure what you’re getting out of spending today with me of all people.” 

Kara scoffs. Then she scoffs again, louder. “Are you serious…? Lena, you’re one of my favorite people in the universe. You’re my best friend!” 

_“Yes,”_ Lena cuts in suddenly. “I’m _very_ well aware of the fact that I’m your friend, Kara. But today’s not really supposed to be about _friends,_ is it?” 

“Well, it could be,” Kara says, slumping over the railing rather petulantly. 

“But it’s _not.”_

Kara waits for a bit, for more, but when more never comes—because,  well, apparently, it  was _her_ turn to speak now—she takes a deep, steadying breath and presses forward instead, 

“So, you don’t want to spend Valentine’s Day with me.” 

“No,” Lena says. “Not this year.” 

Kara nods once, twice, then drops her head as the air of finality in Lena’s words weighs down on her. It’s the answer she was expecting, so she’s not allowed to be sad about it. “Okay.” 

“Okay,” Lena echoes with a sigh. She nods at the wineglass still clutched in Kara’s hand. “So, finish your drink.”

“No. You finish it,” Kara mumbles, pushing the glass back into Lena’s hands. “I don’t even like wine, you know.” 

Lena rolls her eyes. “Well, I didn’t get any chocolate this year.”

“Maybe you will next year.” 

Lena snorts into the wineglass, shaking her head slightly. “Yes. Maybe next year,” she agrees with a half-hearted smirk. 

Kara can’t help but pick her head back up at that. To look over and study Lena’s profile, notice how stark the pale features are against the night sky. Lena might have said her words without much sincerity or care, but still… for the moment, it can be enough for Kara. 

“I’ll just stay till you finish your drink. Well, _my_ drink that I gave to you, though you’re the one who gave it to me in the first place…” Kara trails off with a shake of the head and softly exhaled laughter. “By which I mean, I’ll stay with you until the wine’s gone, and then... yeah, I don’t want to overstay my welcome or anything.” 

“Thank you," Lena says. "I really do appreciate it.” 

Kara touches her hand to Lena’s, and it's meant to be a brief moment, a barely there contact in acknowledgement of Lena’s gratitude. But as soon as skin meets skin, Kara is suddenly loath to pull away. She’s always been able to hear the way Lena’s heart raced for her whenever they were in close proximity, but it's another thing altogether to be able to _feel_ it, to feel Lena’s pulse fluttering mere centimeters away, quickening against her fingertips. 

They both stay facing forward, eyes never glancing down even as their hands gradually entangle, fingers loosely zippering between them. 

“Hey, Lena?” Kara is trying not to grin too brightly, but her cheeks hurt from it all the same. “Drink slow, okay?” 

“Okay,” Lena eventually says, and when Kara squeezes her hand, she squeezes right back without hesitation. “For you, I'll try.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I post an end note? Yeah. Yeah, I should (:


	2. a kinda epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a heck-ton of well-intended angst, sandwiched by two fluffy pieces of bread, my doods.

_2021_

“Mornin’.” 

The soft murmur is accompanied with an even softer kiss to the cheek, and it’s enough to pull Lena out of the remaining dregs of her sleep. When she cracks one eye open, she sees that the pink in the sky has still yet to come into full bloom, because she’s being awoken much earlier than scheduled. 

And yet, Lena can’t find it in herself to be disgruntled or even tired really. Not when this is all she’s wanted for the past five years or so. A reason to greet the early. A reason to _want_ to greet the early morning, to have more hours in the day where she can feel loved in the safest way possible, the way that she now believes that she could deserve. 

“Wait,” Lena says, voice still gravelly from the deep sleep, but she’s already smiling as she snags the hem of Kara’s worn-out t-shirt. Kara immediately takes Lena’s hand in both of hers and presses her lips to Lena’s knuckles. 

“Okay, but I have to pee,” she says with a laugh. “So, make it quick. What do you need?” 

Lena shakes her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling as her smile briefly widens. “That was it. I just wanted a kiss.” 

“Oh. I mean, I always have time for those.” Kara leans in with intention, but Lena gently nudges her away with a single finger against Kara’s forehead. 

“No, I only wanted one, and you just used it up,” Lena says. “Also, morning breath.” Kara pouts, her shoulders broad but drooping. So, Lena taps at Kara’s pelvis, surprising an _oof!_ out of her. “You have to pee, remember?” 

“I mean, jeez, _now_ I do,” Kara says with a huffy grunt. “Okay, be right back, and I’m gonna brush my teeth too, okay?” 

Lena only hums in reply, already curling up on Kara’s side of the bed, burying her face into Kara’s pillow. 

* * *

Though Lena hadn’t kept in touch with either party, she knew that whatever it was between Kara and Andrea had officially run its course. She only watched it happen from afar, but saw it coming miles upon miles away. 

Once the National City branch of Obsidian North got up and running, Andrea left it to the CFO to run and promptly returned to company headquarters back in Venezuela. It made sense from a business point of view. In fact, Lena had had a similar plan not too long ago herself. After all, staying in one city—even one as dynamic and _profitable_ as National City—wasn’t exactly conducive to expanding a tech empire. 

Andrea wasn’t one to plant roots—especially after Russell’s untimely death—so it was only a matter of time before she left the city. 

But she wasn’t really one to uproot someone else for her own sake either _,_ so it was only a matter of time before she left Kara behind as well.

So, Lena waited. 

Then after everything was said and done, and Andrea had finally left, Lena resolved to wait some more, to Kara’s utter dismay. 

“No,” Lena said, when Kara strode into her office not even two days after Andrea’s departure from National City. “I know what you’re thinking, and _no.”_

“But—”

“I will _not_ be your rebound girl, Kara,” Lena insisted, over Kara’s heated protests to the contrary. “And, _yes,_ that _is_ what I’ll be if you go ahead with whatever it is you’re planning on doing right now.” 

“We weren’t even dating,” Kara said. “It was just, _you know._ ”

And Lena did indeed know. But it wasn’t something she had to hear about right now, so she staved off Kara’s justifications with a dismissive wave. “It’s much more than you’ve ever offered me,” she said. “So, forgive me for not making light of your dalliances.” 

Kara swallowed hard, but persisted, “But I think, I think I’ve wanted you for long time. Like, even before Andrea and I ever—”

_“Kara.”_ Lena’s voice cracked ever so slightly with the reproach, which was more than enough to get Kara to stop talking, to stop saying things that Lena _really_ couldn’t handle at the moment. “Not. _Now.”_

Kara’s shoulders sagged heavily, and her entire frame and mood went with it. “Okay… Okay, you’re right, I shouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Lena. God, I’m so sorry.” 

And she was gone before Lena could suggest that maybe they try doing something as friends that night instead. 

// 

The ball, evidently, was in Lena’s court now, and as such, Kara gave her all the time and space she could ever need, and then some. 

But even as Kara Danvers stayed away, Supergirl couldn’t afford to. Not with all the dangerous circles that Lena was consistently engaging in just by virtue of being a Luthor. 

Within two weeks, Lena found herself being shielded from gunfire, Supergirl’s cape draped heavily over her head. It only took another moment and a _whoosh!_ before the assassins were incapacitated and Supergirl was helping Lena back to her feet. 

“Thank you,” Lena said, still struggling to catch her breath. 

“Of course,” Kara said, as she reached down and held Lena’s hand, which Lena only then realized had still been fisted in the cape. 

Kara gave two gentle squeezes before letting go, then proceeded to make polite conversation until Lena was ready to let go of her in turn. 

//

The next time Supergirl saved her, Lena had landed rather unceremoniously into her arms, whiplash surging up her neck as her descent was abruptly cut short. 

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” Kara said, not quite able to stifle her broad grin. 

“Agreed,” Lena said. “Now if only all the homicidal maniacs in National City would get the memo.” Then she winced, pushing her fingers to back of her neck with a pained hiss. 

Kara’s smile dropped away at once. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?” 

“No. Just… some minor whiplash.” Lena went for a reassuring shrug, but ended up wincing even more. “Ow.” 

“Are you sure? Oh, here, let me…” Kara gently set Lena down onto her feet, then even more gently pressed her fingertips against the most tender part of Lena’s neck, kneading at the ache when Lena readily leaned into her touch. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s anything serious. You’re right.” 

“Usually am,” Lena said, wondering whether Kara could feel how hard she was swallowing. “But thank you.” 

Kara cracked a smile, slightly giddy and wide. But she didn’t move her hand, didn’t break off her steady gaze. When a crinkle formed at the middle of Kara’s brow, Lena felt her stomach drop. Because Kara was leaning in closer now. She was going to ask something of Lena, and now, her stomach was plummeting faster than she herself had been only a few minutes prior, because she _really_ wasn’t ready for—

“Do I scare you?” 

Lena blinked. Her mouth fell slightly open, only to close again in a thinly pressed line. “What?” 

“It’s just… your heart always…” Kara trailed off, shaking her head. She took her hand back. “I just wanted you to know that you have nothing be afraid of. I won’t hurt you.” 

Lena tried to scoff. “It’s just _whiplash._ I’m fine.” 

“Yeah. Good.” Kara’s smile was a bit more subdued, but genuine all the same. Then shelooked to the sky with a jerk, promptly tapping at her ear. “I’m here! I was just—okay, _okay,_ I’m on my way, hold on.” She shrugged at Lena with a half-grin. “Duty calls.” 

“Well, don’t let me keep you,” Lena said. 

Kara took a pause then, head tilted like she had something important and insightful to say in response. But just as she opened her mouth, another flinch came over her, forcing her to tap on her earpiece once more. “All right, Alex, I’m _coming.”_

She shot Lena one last meaningful glance before launching back into the sky. 

// 

“I love you,” Lena said, after the third time Supergirl saved her life. 

It was said between heavy, wet coughs and chattering teeth, and was barely intelligible, but Lena said it. It’s the first thing she said after regurgitating what felt like an entire lungful of seawater. But it’s also the second thing. And the third thing. And the fourth and fifth and sixth thing. By the time Lena got to the seventh shaky utterance of her love, Kara had her wrapped up in the tightest embrace, her face pressed into Lena’s drenched hair. Lena was then forced to choke out every subsequent _I love you_ directly into Supergirl’s crest. 

“Well, I was the one administering CPR, but I see how it is.” 

Alex’s wry tone was indistinct and blurry, almost lost in Lena’s struggle to breathe and to convince Kara that yes, yes, _yes,_ of _course_ she loved her at the same time. Lena wanted to laugh. She wanted to thank Alex for saving her, for gifting her with more time. She wanted Alex to know just how utterly in love with Kara she was. 

“I—I pulled you out of the water,” Kara said in a panicked rush. “I pulled you out, but you, you weren’t breathing or moving or opening your eyes, and I couldn’t…” She buried her face deeper into Lena’s hair with a sob, shaking almost as hard as Lena. “So, Alex had to. Alex had to do it, and I’m sorry. I’m so, _so,_ so, so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Lena said, even as every ragged breath she drew rattled her from the inside out. “It’s okay. We’re okay. It’s all gonna be okay…” 

And it was, because now with all that Lena had at stake, she was going to do everything in her power to make it so. 

//

Lena insisted that Kara court her, and at first, she was met with some protest.

“But we already _know_ that we love each other and everything,” Kara said, incredulous. “We’re practically _married_ already!”

“One thing at a time,” Lena said, as sternly as possible with her face rapidly heating up at Kara’s rather nonchalant choice of words. “You haven’t even asked me to be your girlfriend yet, let alone your _wife.”_

“Lena, will you be my—”

_“No._ Properly, Kara. I want to be asked the right way.” Lena rolled her eyes, almost playful, mostly at herself. “I just want to be _wooed,_ okay?”

Kara stepped close and tugged Lena even closer, a firm hand wrapped around Lena’s waist. “Are you not wooed?” she asked. 

Her voice was dropped in the slightest husk, her grip warm and sure, the darkening blue of her eyes clear as the setting day, now that she had taken to wearing her glasses less and less around Lena. 

Lena felt her words falter in real-time, mouth going dry at the very suggestion of the things she had only permitted herself to explore when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Her hand crept up Kara’s side, planting itself firmly against her solid chest. The slightest push was all it took for Kara to step away with a ducked head. 

“A date,” Lena eventually managed to get out, clearing her throat. “I want a first date. And a second, and many others before we get to anything else.” 

Kara exhaled a short laugh through her nose and nodded a few times. “Okay, a first date it is. How do you feel about Italian?”

// 

But even then, their relationship ended up developing somewhat out of order. 

Like Kara said, they had indeed exchanged _I love you_ ’s long before things had yet to take shape between them. But Lena was fine with that, and Kara even more so. 

They exchanged hundreds of _I love you’s_ —the words littering emails and texting threads, whispered as hasty goodbyes on phone calls, said usually three times in rapid succession when greeting each other in person—before the very time they kissed.

They exchanged even more before Lena tearfully agreed to be Kara’s girlfriend. 

They exchanged several more before Kara stayed over for the first time. 

And when a bouquet of flowers arrived one day, with a card from Andrea Rojas reading, _About fucking time,_ Lena couldn’t help but laugh.

* * *

Fingers card through Lena’s hair and she picks her head up with a pleased sigh, slipping out of sleep for the second time that morning. “No kisses unless you brushed your teeth.” 

“I did,” Kara insists. “Also, I showered and cooked breakfast for us too.” 

Lena perks up then. “What, how long have I been asleep?” 

“Mm, just long enough for me to do the aforementioned things, and can I please kiss you now?” Kara leans in with the most hopeful of smiles, and how could Lena ever deny her when Kara’s looking down at her like that?

“Yes.”

“Do I get to have more than one this time?” 

Lena closes her eyes and hums as she thinks. “You can have… five.” She bursts out laughing when Kara immediately presses five kisses into that spot behind her ear that always tickles. “Really? You’re using them all up already?” 

“I made breakfast,” Kara says with an amused half-frown. “And I’m hungry.” 

“You should… mm, come back to bed,” Lena says, nodding. She almost gets Kara to nod along with her before Kara catches herself. 

Kara shakes her head, as if to clear it. “But, but _food…”_

“I’ll give you five more kisses.” 

“I made _bacon,”_ Kara says in half-hearted protest, gesturing toward the open door. 

“Ten kisses,” Lena offers, and she knows she’s already won when Kara flashes that slightly dopey smile of hers in response. 

“You know there’s coffee in it for you too, right?” Kara says. “I finally got that fancy espresso machine of yours to work, and it’s _free_ coffee, Lena. Well, I mean, it’s _your_ coffee already, of course, but—”

Lena reaches up, lets her fingers tangle into the soft pullover that Kara had put on after her shower, tugging slightly. “Unlimited kisses.” 

“… Unlimited, you say?” Kara taps at her chin in a great show of feigned contemplation. “And there’s no take-backsies, right?” 

“Nope.” 

“Because it’d be against the rules, right?” 

Lena snorts, but nods. “Yes, take-backsies are strictly prohibited according to these very official rules that I had made up just this morning.” 

“Well, okay then,” Kara says before practically falling on top of now giggling Lena, resulting in a clumsy shuffle of limbs and snorts. But when Lena is finally about to pull her down for a kiss, Kara gently resists, “Wait, wa-wait. Hang on…”

“What?” Lena asks, brow dipping in slight confusion. 

A bright grin stretches across Kara’s face. “Happy Valen—”

Lena surges up to kiss Kara herself, smirking as the words muffle against her lips, fully intent on divesting Kara not only of all her clothes, but also, of that giddy smile of hers that Lena just loves so, so much. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all y'all are happy because those ^ losers sure are (:


End file.
